Means for locating lost aircraft



March 19, 1946. E;v B. MARPLE '2,395,960

' MEANS FOR LocATING Los'r AIRCRAT Filed Feb. 15, 1944 s sheets-sheet 1INI/NTOR. l ELMoaE B MARPLE MEANS FOR LOCATING LOST AIRCRAFT Filed Feb.l5, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y Flaps IN V EN TOR.

-ELMonE B. MARP E y By/ March19,1946. w E, B MARPLE D 2,396,960

MEANS FOR LOCATING LOST AIRCRAFT Filed-Feb; 15, 1944 s sheets-'Sheet' 5Fly. s u Q IN V EN TOR.

ELMQBE B. RP

Patented Mar. 19, 1946 A UNiTED s'lnrssv ENT" @me This invention relatesto means for locating lost-aircraft, and has for its principal object aseries of tunnels passing through the wings, tail, or other parts of theaircraft, whereby illuminating elements concealed in the discharge fromeither end thereof as the case may require at the time of the aircraftsdisaster, whether on land or submerged in a body of water.

A further object of this invention is to provide reckably connected lidsto close the ends of each tunnel, and being securely locked, and eachlid subject to being opened either by a jar when wrecked on land or bywater when the aircraft is submerged, at which instant, in either .kindof disaster, the illuminating elements may emerge from the lid that isupwardly positioned, and by this arrangement of the tunnel, theilluminating elements will not be trapped against their discharge.

These and other objects will be more fully eX- plained, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, andin which like characters will apply to like parts in the differentviews.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a selected portion of an aircraft toillustrate the tunnel extending therethrough to provide an exit at eachend thereof, through which an illuminating element contained in thetunnel may pass from either end thereof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view the tunnel.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3--3 in Fig. 1, looking in the directionof the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a side View of the water control valves and levers, the Valvesbeing in their closed position.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a lid and carrying means therefor in its openposition.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an aircraft to illustrate positions of thetunnels vthat may be adopted.

The invention herein disclosed consists chiey of a tunnel positioned ina compartment consisting of four sides I that surround the tunnel asshown in Fig. 1, but subject to change according to position in anaircraft. The tunnel consists of two rectangular walls 2 and 3,respectively, 2 representing the outer wall, while wall 3 is the tunnelportion that extends through a selected position ofthe aircraftstructure.

It will be seen that the outer wall 2 is rigidly supported by itsrespective plate elements 4 and of Fig. l, looking through Y 5. Plate 5may be an extension of wall 2, or

brackets may substitute the extension.

vThe portion of the tunnel extending through the structure and beinginterposed in walls 2 consists of four side walls 3 spaced inward fromthe first Said walls and being in parallelism theretunnels are free to 1with. The outer ends of said walls 3 each have flanges 6 extending'outward as shown in Fig. 1 to form a bearing on which exible legs l willsit, the said legs being secured to their respective lids 8 and beingspaced therearound while the peripheral edges of said lids will sit onflanges 9 that are secured -to the inner side of the aircraft shell,whereby said lid is substantially water tight when closed, andlater morefully described.

It will beunderstood that the inner wall of the tunnel structure is freeto wabble and being supported by a plurality oflsprings I6 positioned inspaced relation transversely and longitudinally of the tunnel as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, said springs to function as shock vabsorbers to avoidexcess jar under normal flying of the aircraft and at the time of itsdisaster; f

The lids heretofore mentioned are rocka'bly mounted on the outer ends ofbrackets II while the inner ends are rockably mounted on theirrespective rods I2 that are secured to ltheir respective bar elements I3that are attached to the shell of the craft as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,Aand the said brackets each having a coil spring I4 as tensioning meansto open the lids simultaneously bygsecuring one end of each spring' toits respective bracket while the other end is secured to saidcompartment top outward from its opening.

It will be understood that a lid for each end of the tunnel is providedand adapted to open and close simultaneously while the followingdescription will have reference to one lid but 'apply to each thereof.

Positioned in the compartment opposite thc bracket carrying rod andbeing a spaced distance downward from the under side of each lid isanother rod l5 that is rockably trunnioned in ears I6 that are securedto the lid. Rigidly secured to `last .said rod adjacent the inner sideof each ear is-a hook I1, downwardly extending and being tensioned byleaf spring I8 to cause engagement of the hooks with their respectivelock bolts .I9 as securing means for the said lid in its closed positionwhen forced downward as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

An accessible means to the tunnel under normal conditions, one lid maybe opened by mechanical arrangement, or the said hooks may be manuallyreleased by a cantilever` 2i! rockably mounted on a post 2I, Said 'leverhaving a link 22 connecting one end of the lever to one end of the hookas shown in Fig. 1, and by a downward press on a button 23, that is in.registry with an aperture in the lid will rock the hooks fromengagement with the lock bolts.

There is also provid-ed another means to unlock the lids which in turnwill'automatically open the same through the `medium .of 'their' springsheretofore described, said means consisting of a cylindrical stem 24vertically positioned and seated on a post 25, that is secured to thebottom of the compartment. Wound on the stem is a spring element 26,having its lower end secured to the post 25, the upper end being securedto a rockable arm 21, said arm being pivotally con- Positioned betweenthe end of the illuminating element and its respective lids are blockarnected to one end of an arm 28 while the other end of said arm ispivotally connected to one end of a lever 29, that is rockably mountedat its longitudinal center on a horizontal bal` 30, the ends of whichare secured to vertically disposed bars 3| that are supported by thewalls of the enclosure and a, similar arm 32 being connected to theother end of lever 29 and to a similar arm 33. The outer ends of each ofsaid arms 21 and 33 are hingedly connected to U-shaped members at theirlongitudinal center of their portions A that integrally joincorresponding ends of its legs B, the other ends of the legs havingportions C outwardly extending in opposite directions and beingconnected to their respective vertical bars 3l, whereby a bearing ismade for standards 34 that are'positioned in pairs, the free ends ofwhich are apertured to receive the lock bolts i9 slidable therein tomove toward and from eac'n other longitudinally, each lock bolt having aspring 38 wound thereon, the ends of which are secured in such a way asto move said bolts inward toward each other to unlock the lids, .theouter ends thereof adapted to engage with their respective hooks I1 tolock the lids in their closed position when forced outward by atriangular grooved head 31 positioned between the confronting ends ofsaid bolts, each of which have a roller 38 journalled on their saidconfronting ends and adapted to engage the grooves D of the triangularheads 31.

It will be seen that each of the grooved heads is pivotally connected toarms 21 and 33 as carrying means therefor to move the same toward andfrom each other as actuated by the `said rockable lever 29 heretoforedescribed, and to actuate the movement of the rockable lever it will beseen in Fig. l that arm`21 having its bearing upon the said cylindricalstem 24 and being connected to said spring 26 wound on the stein ismeans whereby when the stem is collapsed as later described, the headswillbe forced toward each other by contraction of the spring to unlockboth lids. Y f

The stem above referred to as being cylindriL calin form, it will beseen that one portion E thereof is solid and being of a materialthat'will readily dissolve when submerged in water as one means tocollapse the stem, the other portion F being hollow and preferably madeof glass to break easily under the force of impact, or by'a weight 39pendantly carried as shown by dotted linesI in Fig. l that is free tocontact the glass under force of impact, whereby the stem will alsocollapse. Consequently, in either event, the locks for the lids will bedisengaged and free to swing open as heretofore described to permitanilluminating element 40 to emerge from either end of the tunnel as thecaseemay require whether submerged in water ork destruction of the 'aircraft takes place on land; in either event. the said illuminatingelement will be conducted from the tunnel by gravity or buoyancyfromrthe end of the tunnel positioned favorably to vsuch conditions.However should the illuminating element be retained in the tunnelonland, the same would be discernible as each` en d thereofis pro-lvided with an electrically energized lamp.

y'it' rangements 4l carried by a spring 42, said blocks confronting thelenses and adapted to press a switch element 43 inward to break theelectric circuit,`and when either or both lids are unlocked and thrownopen the circuit will be closed automatically. It will be understoodthat a miniature electric plant is contained inward of the illuminantelement.

In Fig. 1 is shown a cord 44 wound on a drum 45, the free end of saidcord being secured to the lower end of the illuminating element, andwhen the aircraft is submerged in water the illuminant element willunwind the cord suflicient for said element to remain on the surface ofthe water in close range from the aircraft whereby it can be readilylocated. As a means to insure water entering the compartment, there isprovided a pair of valves 46 adapted to engage in apertures formed inopposite'walls of the compartment, said valves being connected byjointed arms 4l' and 43, each of which is rockably mounted in theirrespective ears 49 and 58. It will be seen that arm 48 at its free endis bifurcated to slidably receive a headed pin 5l secured to the freeend of the other arm, and the Vneck of the pin when the valves areopened will engage in a bayonet notch G as locking means to retain thevalves disengaged from their apertures. To cause engagement of thevalves there is provided a leaf spring 52, said spring to yield underpressure of water when the aircraft is submerged; furthermore thebayonet engagement will automatically lock itself under tension of thespring to insure an open position of said valves.

Modifications may be made as lie within the scope of the claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: l. In means for locating lost aircrafts, incombination, a tunnel extending through a selected structure of anaircraft for outward communication at either end of the tunnel, saidtunnel being of suitable length, the ends of which are removably closed,an illuminant element. Vremovably placed in the tunnel Iand having ananchor line attached thereto and to structure surrounding the tunnel,the line being wound on a reel and adapted to` unwind as the saidilluminant element moves outward from the tunnel, shock absorbing meansfor the tunnel at the instant of impact when the aircraft is wrecked,lids to open and close the ends of the tunnel, automatic means to openthe lids Yby impact at the wrecking moment of the aircraft, and electriccircuit means to illuminate the element at both ends thereof by openingmovement of the lids to close the circuit.

2. In means for locating lost aircrafts, as recited in claim l, saidautomatic means comprising an element subdivided near its longitudinalcenter with respect to destructible material to normally retain the lidsin a closed position under normal conditions, one portion of thesubdivided element being deteriorated by water as a solvent therefor torelease'the lids, the other portion being subject to breakage byabnormal impact of the aircraft with an obstacle to likewise release thelids, and a coil spring wound on the locking means to open the lids atthe time of deterioration of saidportions.

ELMORE B. MARPLE.

